Rattle the Stars
by Anamique4
Summary: AU: When Marik is given a map to Treasure Planet, he sets off on a journey where he meets otherworldly creatures, searches for treasure, and meets an enigmatic young man named Bakura. Is there more to him than meets the eye? THIEFSHIPPING: SHONEN-AI, YAOI
1. Prologue

**A/N: ****Technically this is a crossover with the movie Treasure Planet, I suppose. But I didn't feel like posting it under one, because I'm using hardly any actual characters from the film, if any. So yea, awesome movie, and I thought, "Hey! This is pretty Thiefshippy!", and here we are. (Yes, I know there's no relationship in the actual movie, but I am doing it for this.) The prologue is mostly backround, character development, etc. In the film, Jim is 3, not 4, but I thought it was better to make Marik a bit older. And yea, Marik's father will be a bigger part of this fic than Jim's dad is. I'm seeing this fic to be least 15 chapters, if not more. **

* * *

><p><strong>Rattle the Stars<strong>

**Prologue**

_On the clearest of nights, when the winds of the Aetherium were calm and peaceful, the great merchant ships, with their cargos of Octurian solar crystals, felt safe and secure. Little did they suspect that they were pursued- by pirates. And the most feared among all these pirates was the notorious Thief King… _

The words of this oration were spoken by a deep voice that seemed to resonate through the room. Over the top of the pocket-size holograms, a small eager face peered wide-eyed at the miniature battle taking place at his fingertips.

Laying stomach first on top of the covers of his bed, a small boy, about four years old, kicked his sock-clad feet happily as he watched his holo-book weave a tale of daring adventure and exploration in a world far from his own. The fast-moving pictures cast a flickering light upon his tanned skin and flaxen hair which hung just past his shoulders.

_Like a Candarian Zapwing overtaking its prey-_

"Marik Sebastian Ishtar!"

The door to his room swung open, and a bright light poured in and bathed the boy in its harsh glow. With a stifled gasp, Marik snapped the book shut and threw it down, attempting, unsuccessfully, to look like the picture of innocence.

His big sister Ishizu Ishtar stood in the doorway in her pink nightgown, arms on hips, and a disapproving frown on her face.

"Little brother, I thought you were in bed an hour ago!" Ishizu scolded. Marik sat up and scowled. Ishizu unwillingly felt a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth. The scowl was hardly threatening. Instead it just made the small boy more adorable than he already was, his lavender eyes squinting fiercely, and his nose crinkling up. Marik saw her eyes soften a little and decided to use it.

"Aw, but sister, I was just getting to the best part!" he pleaded, beaming a winning gap-toothed smile at Ishizu, and flashing her his best puppy-dog eyes. He clutched the book tightly to his chest and bounced slightly on the mattress.

"Oh, Marik, you know that doesn't work on me," Ishizu looked away from the boy quickly, determined not to let him get away with this one. "You _know_ you shouldn't be up this late, and…" Shoot. She had caught sight of his face. "And…" She suddenly found herself lost for words.

"Pleeeeease Ishizu! I promise I'll go straight to sleep afterwards. Really," He crossed his fingers behind his back and smiled even wider.

"Oh! Could those eyes get any bigger? … Scooch over Marik," she relented, moving onto the bed behind the boy, and taking him onto her lap. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed downstairs, followed by an angry curse. Marik tensed up against his sister.

"Ishizu? I-is Father home?" Marik looked anxiously up at Ishizu's face. Her face stiff, she nodded slightly.

"It would appear so."

"Um, do you think… he'd want… to say Good Night to me?... I mean…" His quiet voice trailed off into a mumble. More crashes were heard, along with a "FUCKING LITTLE-!" Marik cringed visibly. Ishizu sighed, and stroked the boy's soft hair.

"Maybe another night Marik… You know how Father gets sometimes," she replied delicately, avoiding the words that pushed themselves on her tongue. Yes, how Father gets. How Father gets when he's drunk… She shook herself. "But let's finish that book, okay, little brother?" She smiled at him, a little of the sadness she felt still present on her lips.

"Okay!" Marik grinned ecstatically, all previous tension forgotten. Almost reverently, he opened the book back up, and the holograms burst back to life.

_Like a Candarian Zapwing overtaking its prey, the Thief King and his band of renegades swooped in, out of nowhere. _A tall and muscular man, wearing a blood-red cloak and a fair amount of his stolen loot on his fingers and around his neck, stood proudly at the helm of his ship, shouting orders to his bloodthirsty crew, and pointing dramatically to a huge merchant ship floating not far up ahead. The men, rage and pleasure all too evident in their eyes, steered their ship up to the side of the other, and quickly boarded it, tearing the opposing crew apart with merciless slashes and stabs. The infamous Thief King made his way across the ship, stepping around the disfigured corpses and screaming bodies with a slight smirk on his face. Stopping before the ship's treasure chest, he took his sword and effortlessly smashed the lock on it, before tipping the entire chest over onto the floor. The thief chortled smugly as he unhurriedly took a handful of the priceless gold and gems and let them drip through his bronzed fingers. _And then, gathering up their spoils… vanished, without a trace._

"Oooooooooooh…" Marik and Ishizu whispered to each other theatrically, grinning as Marik turned the page.

_The Thief King's trove was never found, but stories have persisted that it remains hidden, somewhere at the farthest reaches of the galaxy, stowed with riches _beyond _imagination. The loot of a thousand worlds…_

"Treasure Planet," Marik finished with the narrator, eyes shining brightly. That was his favorite part. He closed the book, fingers caressing the binding lovingly.

"Okay Marik, it is _definitely _your bedtime now. Don't make me tickle you!" Ishizu teased, running her fingers over his side lightly, making the small boy giggle. Seeing this, she chuckled and moved her fingers over to start on his stomach. Marik, choked with laughter, hugged himself tightly, rolling onto his side to try and prevent his sister from getting at his sensitive skin. She pulled his arms away with one hand and continued her tickle-torture with the other hand.

"Oh don't sister! Please Ishizu, nooooo…! Oh oh oh oh…" Marik gasped out breathless.

"Say the magic word!" Ishizu cried out, oblivious now to how loud they were being.

"Ah… Father!" Marik's voice suddenly turned fearful. Ishizu's head snapped up, and turned hastily towards the doorway. Their father stood there leaning against the doorframe, silently watching the two siblings. She stood up quickly.

"Father! I-I-I…" Ishizu stuttered uneasily, staring at her feet, but shooting furtive glances up at the man's face.

"Ishizu," their father spoke slowly, every word rolling off his tongue like a dagger. "Tell me why, in Ra's name, is Marik still awake?" He waited for her answer, eyes narrowed dangerously. Ishizu shifted uncomfortably under his scrutinizing gaze, smelling the alcohol coming off him in waves. Marik whimpered on the bed behind her, and she moved inconspicuously to stand in front of his small form.

"I was just putting Marik to bed, Father," she whispered. The man grunted unintelligibly and shifted his weight off the doorframe. He walked over to them, staggering slightly as he went. Stopping before Ishizu, he frowned at her protective stance.

"Move," their father said, his voice a mask of deadly calm. Ishizu hesitated before moving out of his way. He stood beside the bed and regarded the small boy who sat there, hardly breathing. Unhurriedly, he bent down and reached his hand out, delicately caressing the boy's face, the latter quivering slightly under his touch. After a minute or so, he stood back up and gave a small laugh before roughly patting Marik on the head and turning away back towards the door. "Make sure he's asleep the next time I come up, Ishizu." The second he had left the room, she sat back down and pulled Marik into comforting hug. Slowly, the boy's breathing returned to normal, and he gently tugged on his sister's long black hair to let her know he was okay. She let go, and Marik slid off her and picked up his book again.

"How do you think the Thief King did it, Ishizu? How did he _swoop _in out of nowhere, and _vanish_ without a trace?" Ishizu smiled. He was still thinking about the book.

"I haveno idea!" She poked him in the stomach, making him squeak in protest. "Now, I think it's time for this little spacer to go to sleep." Marik reluctantly allowed her to tuck him back under the covers.

"D'ya think someone will ever _find _Treasure Planet?" He looked at her, his naïveness plain on his face.

"Marik… I think it's more… like a legend!" she said quickly, not wanting to completely crush her brother's dreams. He frowned.

"I _know_ it's real," he declared, no hesitation in his voice. She smiled at him.

"You win. It's… _real_," she whispered, bringing her face close to his.

"Nighty-night, sister," Marik said, hugging her tightly.

"Nighty-night, brother," Ishizu replied, before heading to the door. "I love you,"

"I love you too," he whispered contentedly back, snuggling deeper into his bed.

Softly, she closed the door behind her, and the room was completely dark for a moment. Then the sound of shifting was heard, and from beneath the blankets, a silhouette could be seen on his stomach, holding a glowing book in his hands.

_There are nights, when the winds of the Aetherium, so inviting in their promise of flight and freedom, made one's spirit soar. _

* * *

><p><strong>What? Fluff? What the hell are you talking about?<strong>

**You: *points* Tickle torture? Seriously?**

**Hey! That's important character development! *pouts* Lolz. Well, don't worry, Bakura (Silver), and Thiefshipping will be coming up soon, I'm thinking in about 3 or 4 chapters. Marik is older next chapter, about 16. **

**Yes, this story takes place _in space. (_And no, there will not be any card games in said space.) It's not so evident here, but once Marik gets on... the spaceship, it should be pretty obvious. **

**Mmk, well please Review! Click the little yellow button! It will give you free ice cream, I promise. *crosses fingers* Hasta la pasta! ^^**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Wow gaiz, I'm glad you didn't get scared off last chapter. Forgot to apoligize for... Well, Marik's dad is such a creeper. His Royal Creepyness will be coming back later in flashbacks. Eh-heh. ^^ Warning: I use both Japanese and English dub names in this fic. Possibly Abridged later on...**

**Anyways, about this first part... LOTS of description. Please get through it. :D It was necessary to describe the wind and Marik's hair and the surfer and stuff. I don't lie. I promise there's dialogue later in the chapter. I wrote it last night when I came back from skating, delirious from falling down and cracking my head on the concrete. So yea, originality? Not really. It pretty much sticks to the film. Sorry. BLAME MY CONCUSSION. Then today I came home and wrote the rest. **

**Yeeeeeaaaaaa Marik doesn't make the wheel. Sorry. For one thing I didn't want to describe it all, and the sound Jim does when he goes through the wheel... It's like "Hurrrruuuhhh...!" Which looks stupid when you type it out. And another thing, I thought it'd be funnier to... well you'll see. Enjoy~!**

**Disclaimer: (Forgot this last time) I OWN NOTHING. NOT YU-GI-OH! NOT DISNEY! NADA.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

_Twelve years later…_

Marik laughed out loud, the sound torn out of his mouth and carried behind him in the wind. The air whistled through his hair, the sun making it look like spun gold. His hands clutched the railing of the contraption, and the sail fluttered wildly. He was testing out his newly-built solar surfer, and so far it was working perfectly.

It looked like a kind of metal snowboard, with indents and straps made for the feet to go. A long pole ran up out of the center, onto which the rippling sail was attached, shimmering slightly as it charged in the sun. A long curved bar was welded onto the middle of the pole, serving as the railing. Two rocket jets were fastened firmly onto the back of the board part of the surfer, along with a small foot pedal that served as the propulsion for the jets. When Marik pressed his foot backwards down on the pedal, the jets burst into life, giving his flight a boost and sustaining both him and the surfer in the air as it glided rapidly along.

Marik and the surfer soared higher and higher, over and under the clouds, hundreds of feet in the air, until they climbed at an almost vertical ascension. When they got high enough, he flipped the board completely perpendicular so that he hung there in a horizontal manner. Then he stepped on another button on the board, and the sail folded in on itself and into the board.

With nothing holding it aloft, the surfer began a rushing free-fall. Marik closed his eyes in silent exultation and held his arms open to either side of him, a gesture of all-consuming acceptance. The surfer flipped over and over as it dropped, Marik dropping with it, his purple shirt fluttering wildly over his midriff.

When they had fallen about a hundred feet, Marik once again opened his eyes, and instead of letting the surfer free-fall, began to manipulate the board with the rushing air, twisting it this way and that way, doing tricks with it.

A huge canyon rose beneath them, and the teenager's eyes widened with a sudden idea. Spinning to build enough momentum, he flipped the board _upside down_ and continued to spin it, his feet above his head, for all the world looking like some sort of human helicopter, the board a propeller. The canyon flashed by in his peripheral vision, and he flipped himself right way up just in time to loop a few times before diving steeply, and, popping his sail out at the very last moment, skimmed the very bottom of the canyon. He pressed down on the jets and let out a loud whoop of jubilation.

"YAHOOOOOO…!" Caught up in the high of his stunt's success, he didn't notice that he was nearing a construction zone that was set up near the mouth of the canyon, before it was too late. He crashed through the warning sign set up there, setting off a tirade of ringing alarms.

"Fuck fuck fuck," Marik muttered to himself. Seeing that no one seemed to be around, he continued to fly through the site. He hoped desperately that he could make it out without anyone seeing him. From the shrieking bells reverberating in his eardrums, he got the sneaking suspicion that he wasn't supposed to be here, and all he needed was another reason for Ishizu to get on his case. A multitude of rotating gears and parts whirred around him, and his eyes widened in shock as a huge gyrating wheel rose out of nowhere before him.

"Oh, SHIT!" Marik managed so gasp out, before he and the surfer crashed head-on into the wheel. His surfer crumpled on the collision, crushed into irreparable pieces of metal and canvas. Marik however, was a bit luckier. The surfer, being largely in front of him, had absorbed most of the impact. Which left him where he was now. Falling.

The wheel had been about two hundred feet in the air, but the distance to the ground was closing in fast as he plummeted quickly downward. This was not the sort of fall he had undergone earlier, where he had had his board secure under his feet, and the knowledge that it was all just a thrill. No, this was a drop to certain death, and Marik could feel the mounting terror in his brain, his limbs, his lungs. He couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't breathe… His heart pounded like a drum and blood roared in his ears. Then…

Marik let out a bewildered "oof!" as his rapid descent was abruptly cut off. He looked around to see what had saved his life… and groaned aloud. A solid metal hand grasped the back of his black cargo pants at the belt loops, and he hung there like a naughty child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"_Citizen_," a robotic voice clipped, "_What is your name_?" Marik paused for a second before reluctantly answering the android-policeman.

"My name is Marik Sebastian Ishtar."

* * *

><p>The rain poured down in a torrent. Through the deluge, a large homey-looking cottage could be seen sitting on the edge of a cliff, where a sort of sky-harbor was situated and dozens of flying ships came into port. <em>THE BENBOW INN<em>, a rickety sign read, swinging in the rain as it hung there.

Inside the inn, Ishizu Ishtar, now an attractive woman of twenty-seven, swept a hand across her sweaty brow as she picked up yet another tray full of food for her hungry customers. Pushing behind her ears a few hairs that had strayed from her tidy bun, she set down the tray for a second on a spare table and wiped her hands off on her apron.

"Okay! Now who had the... Uh…" Ishizu suddenly found herself lost for words. Looking down at the food on the tray, she couldn't think of a name for any of it. _It's like what Marik used to do to me when he was little_, she found herself thinking distractedly, _except Marik's sixteen now, not four, and he isn't even here right now. This is all me. _The alien family sat at their table, making little impatient huffs while she stood there stupidly.

"Ms. Ishtar!" a clear, polite voice called from across the room. Ishizu turned to see Ryou, her newly hired cook, smiling brightly and waving at her from the doorway to the kitchen. "Ms. Ishtar, I believe I just whipped up four powdered spearoids, two lunar eclipses, and a bowl Zorellian jellyworms. How do the customers like them?" Ishizu felt a wave of relief wash over her, and she flashed Ryou a grateful smile. He had seen her slipup, and had stepped in. Quickly, she handed out each dish to the correct person.

"I'm sure they're going to love them Ryou, thank you." As she headed to another table, she mouthed to him, _What would I do without you?_. He blushed and chuckled a little before ducking back into the kitchen.

"Ah, Jonouchi! I'm sorry I haven't gotten to you before now. This place has been like a madhouse all morning!" she said, handing a bowl of steaming dog food to a male who looked like some kind of canine-human hybrid alien. He had a large, wet black nose that sniffed delicately at the food before picking up a fork and attacking it. Floppy dog ears held up round spectacles, and golden fur covered his head and parts of his body.

"Nya, it's no problem Ishizu, really. I'm just glad I gots my eats now!" the hybrid proclaimed cheerfully, in a voice with a thick Brooklyn accent. "I can't believe you keep the old Benbow running so…" Jonouchi searched for the word.

"Smoothly?" she offered. He nodded vigorously before turning his attention back to the chow.

"Yes, well I have Ryou to help me now, and Marik… when he's around," she finished rather half-heartedly. He looked up her last words, and studied Ishizu's face contemplatively.

"And how is Marik doing these days?" he asked carefully. She brightened a little.

"_Much_ better, actually. I know he had some rough spots earlier this year, but I really think he's turned a corner, Jou, I really do." On those words, the door to the inn crashed open.

"_Ms. Ishtar_," a pair of cold, mechanical voices echoed simultaneously. Two android-policemen stood in the doorway, and between them, looking very, very pissed and humiliated was-

"MARIK!" Ishizu exclaimed in shock and anger, dropping the dishes she had been holding onto the floor, every one smashing into a pile of glass shards.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow. CLIFFHANGER FAIL. Sorry. ^^<strong>

**I snuck Ryou in! Hooray! *internet cookies for myself* His part wasn't in the film, but I couldn't find a character to match him, and he's like one of my favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! characters. So yea. I had to.**

**I made Marik a little less rebellious than Jim is. Marik went in the construction zone by accident, unlike Jim, who's like, "SCREW THE RULES, I HAVE A PONYTAIL." I just felt it matched my story better. Yeaaaaaa _and _it gave me a chance to make Marik look like a complete idiot. CHARACTER HUMILIATION FTW.**

**And yes, Jou is Doctor Doppler (or whatever the hell his name is). I mean come on. THEY'RE BOTH DOGS, PEOPLES. IT WORKS. And since (Spoiler!) I'm having Kaiba as the Captain, that'll make for a little (slight) Puppyshipping later on. I don't even like the pairing, but it was just too irresistable to pass up. It might make for a little difficult writing, seeing as Doppler's supposed to be relatively intelligent, and to me, Jou's kind of... an idiot. But I'll try my best to make it work.**

**Okay, make Ana happy, and click the review button! Hasta la pasta~! XD [I wonder if anyone catches the Star Trek reference...?] **


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the super long author's note last time, guys. I'll try to keep it short and sweet, ja? K. So we finaaaaaaally get a bit of plot development! Marik meets Pegasus, (but don't get too attached, cause I'm killing him off next chapter). ^^ Enjoy~!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Disney's Treasure Planet, but if I did, I'd have Marik take his shirt off more. And Jim... take his shirt off more. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Marik heard the disappointment in Ishizu's voice before he looked up and saw it on her face. _Yes sister_, he thought bitterly, _little Marik's gone and gotten himself in trouble again. Aren't you so fucking proud of me? _Putting on a fake grin, he lightheartedly shrugged the cop's hand off his shoulder.

"Thanks for the ride home guys! I don't know where our planet would be today without this quality police department. I wish there were more men like you two on the force," he gushed, winking at the two officers and delicately stepping out of reach. The shorter of the two androids actually looked slightly flattered, but the taller one irritably hit him on the side of the head.

"_Not so fast miss_," the taller resounded, grabbing Marik by the shoulder once more. Marik whipped his head around, lavender eyes burning dangerously.

"I beg your_ pardon_?" he snarled. The taller glanced down doubtfully at his long hair, low-riding pants, and sleeveless purple hoodie showing off a generous amount of toned midriff.

"_Sorry. __**Sir**_," it replied. Marik could swear he heard sarcasm in the cop's words, and he clenched his fists furiously. Ishizu shot him a warning look.

"_Ms. Ishtar, I'm Officer Kemo, and this is my deputy-in-training, Officer Honda_," the taller spoke, gesturing to the shorter android next to him, whose head also bore the same strange, cone-shaped front. On the way to the inn, Marik had secretly nicknamed the taller "The Hair Guy", despite his lack of actual hair, and the shorter simply… "Stupid". "_Your… brother, has been apprehended operating his solar vehicle in a restricted area. This clearly violates the terms of his probation._"

"Yes well, thank you officers. I certainly appreciate you bringing him home. But… Isn't there something… we can do…? Anything we can…?" she faltered, her gaze dropping to the floor as she felt tears welling up. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the entire restaurant sitting silently, watching the spectacle play out. Ryou stood in the entrance to the kitchen, oven mitts still on his hands, holding a pan of creampuffs as he gaped open-mouthed at them. Then… movement.

"Excuse me?" a slightly miffed voice spoke, accent quite distinct. "Nya, I don't really think this is my place, but my name is Dr. Jonouchi Katsuya, the noted astrophysicist. Perhaps you've heard of me?' he asked hopefully. The android-policemen glared down at him coldly. "No…? Well um…" The dog hybrid trailed off, his idea obviously having been to simply astound the robots with his well-known presence. Marik rolled his eyes in exasperation. The less-than-clever doctor meant well, but his only real intelligence lay in his profession, studying the stars. In any real world situation, Jonouchi Katsuya was sadly inept and often ended up making things worse.

"_Are you related to this boy in any way, shape or form?_" "Stupid" asked at length. Jou looked considerably offended.

"Hey pal, do I _look_ like I'm related to them?" he retorted, gesturing loosely to his floppy ears and furry body.

"_THEN BACK OFF SIR!_" both robots responded, voices ringing in unison. The doctor fell backwards at their angry tone, and he got to his feet again scowling, no doubt ready to do something extremely rash and regrettable. Before he could though, Ishizu grabbed him and led him back to his table.

"Thank you for trying to help Jonouchi, but _really_, we are fine. I'll take it from here," she said soothingly. He calmed noticeably under her gentle touch, and sat down without any resistance. The two of them had been friends for as long as either could remember, and had soothing effects on each other.

"_Due to repeated violations of Statute 15, we have compounded his vehicle. Any more slipups will result in a one-way ticket to Juvenile Hall_," stated "The Hair Guy", shoving Marik forward away from him, as if in distaste. Ishizu breathed a sigh of relief as she caught her brother. So he wasn't going to be taken away from her just yet...

"Thank you officers. It won't happen again," she replied truthfully, gratitude showing in her voice. The androids softened a little under her tone.

"_No problem ma'am_," "The Hair Guy" replied.

"_We see his type all the time_," "Stupid" added.

"_Wrong choices. Dead-enders. Lo-sers_," the cops bounced responses off each other. At "lo-sers", Marik reeled around in indignation, but didn't say anything. "_You take care now. Let's __**move**__ it_." And with that, the two policemen turned and left, shutting the door with a loud BANG behind them. Ishizu gazed around at the wide-eyed customers, who all pretended to have not been listening and continued eating their food. She turned back to Marik.

"Brother, I have _had _it. What the hell is wrong with you? Do you want to be taken away? To Juvenile Hall, or someplace even worse? I don't know what to think anymore…" Ishizu said, a sob rising in her throat. She held her face wearily in one hand. Marik started to silently clear an empty table, the noiseless void echoing loudly between them. "Please brother, speak to me. At least look at me." Marik spun around at that, eyes flashing.

"What do you want me to say, _sister_? I'm sorry? I wasn't even doing anything! It happened to be an accident, but did anyone bother to get my side of the story? No! Everyone automatically assumes that I've done something wrong, that I'm some kind of criminal. You _know_ that I'm trying to stay out of trouble. I _did _promise, but apparently my word means nothing to you." He went back to clearing the table, muttering under his breath, "What in the name of Ra was a fucking construction site doing at the bottom of a damn canyon anyways…" Ishizu sighed.

"I'm just afraid of losing you… I don't want to see you throw away your entire future," she said resignedly.

"What future…" Marik murmured inaudibly, taking a pile of dirty dishes back to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Marik sat on the roof of the inn outside his window, flicking stones dispassionately off the edge. Vaguely, he wondered if he was hitting any passing customers on the walkway below. Another storm rumbled on the horizon, but for the moment, all was calm. The still before the storm.<p>

"Ah Ishizu, I know you'll get through this." After a moment's hesitation, Jou's voice added, "Both of you will. You're managing…" At this, Ishizu's voice broke out in some kind of hiccough of hysterical laughter, resounding through the open window down below.

"Managing? I'm at the end of my rope! Ever since our father-" Here, her voice broke off. Even from outside, Marik could feel the awkward tension mounting in the room. He knew his sister didn't like to think about what their father had done. Didn't like to remember… But he couldn't help remembering. He had the scars to remind him every day. Absently he reached his hand up around to his back and traced one of the long rigid lines. Every day.

"But he's so smart Jou! You wouldn't think so, looking at his grades, but he built his first solar surfer when he was eight!" Marik smiled, recalling the amazed look on Ishizu's face when he had showed the surfer to her. Really, it hadn't been much more than a pile of junk, but his sister seemed to think it was better than a spaceship of the highest caliber. "Yet he's failing his classes, and when he talks to me, it's like we're total strangers." Marik's smile dropped again, and he stared moodily off at the sky.

Suddenly, a large smoking spaceship flew across his vision, and crashed onto the dock down past the inn. Marik jumped up in shock, and quickly bounded off of the roof and down to the wrecked ship.

"Mister? Hey Mister, you okay in there, right?" he shouted out, tapping against one of the ship's glass hatches. He sprang back in surprise as a long-fingered hand reached out of the smoky interior of the ship and banged against the glass unexpectedly. The hatch opened, and a man tumbled out onto the dock. He had long, straight silver hair that hung to his shoulders, and was dressed in what must have been once very fine and elegant clothes, but now hung in dirty rags on his thin frame. Reaching out, he grabbed Marik by the front of his shirt and pulled him in close so that they were face to face.

"He's coming for me. He's coming… Can't you hear him? Those gears and gyros clicking and whirling like the devil himself?' With every word, the man grew paler and his face more strained, until at last he erupted into a burst of violent coughing, turning away from the bewildered teenager to gaspingly reach back into the ship and pull out a small locked chest.

"You hit your head real hard there, huh?" Marik asked, staring at the man who seemed to be dying right there in front of him. The man in question simply clutched the chest closer to his body.

"He'll be coming after this chest you know. He'll be coming… what's your name?" the man asked suddenly. Marik replied without thinking.

"Marik."

"Well, Marik-boy, he'll be coming. That fiendish cyborg with his murderous band of cutthroats… But they'll have to pry it from Maximillian Pegasus' cold dead fingers before I-" The man, who had tried to stand with pride while uttering the last phrase, exploded into another round of bone-shaking coughs, and fell onto the ground, lying there while he wheezed horribly.

"Oh Ra…" Marik breathed out. Although he got mixed vibes from this strange man, who talked like a proper gentleman, but dressed like some kind of… pirate, he offered the man his arm without reluctance.

"Here, take my arm. And there we go, just… lean on me. Ok." Marik hauled the man up, and began to drag him up the hill to the Benbow Inn, hindered slightly by the man continuing to clutch the little chest. "We'll get you some help, don't worry." As an afterthought, he said to the man, "And don't call me Marik-boy."

* * *

><p><strong>Aha. Ha. So yea, if you didn't get it, (I tried to drop a lot of hints though), the two police nubs are- *drum roll* The Hair Guy and Tristan Timothy Taylor. Yes. Because I love to screw around with their names and go from canon to abridged to calling Tristan "Stupid" and then back again. XP And I LOVE having people mistaking Marik for a girl. I might have someone else do it later on... *evil smile*<strong>

**But yea, this ENTIRE fic, whenever I type Ryou's name, it gets the little red wavy line, and I click on it and it tells me "NOT A REAL WORD!". Then I go and click _Add to Dictionary_, and I'm like, "It is NOW, bitch!" Yea. It's reaaaaally pissing me off. XD**

**I'm adding a little Bakura next chapter! SO excited. I've been wanting to write him for forever. ^^ REVIEW AND SUBSCRIBE! **


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: BAKURA!1111! I couldn't type his name, cause Marik hasn't officially met him yet, but yes, he's here. He'll be back next chapter, in a part I just _had _to add. Yeeeeaaaaa character development in the beginning. I feel like Ishizu cries like every couple paragraphs in this fic. Sorry. It was necessary to make her a whiny b***h. **

**PEGASUS DIES. God, that was satisfying to type. It was annoying the hell out of me, because I felt I wasn't getting his character right. THAT'S WHAT A GOOD AUTHOR DOES. IF YOU CAN'T GET THE CHARACTER RIGHT, KILL THEM OFF. uh-huh. XD**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing... well I do own... No. Nothing.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

With a crackle of deafening thunder and a flash of lightning, the tempest hit, beating against the walls of the Benbow Inn, rain pounding the windows. With a sigh, Ishizu, switched the viewing screen of the window to a tropical island, complete with palm trees and gentle sunset, then shook her head and switched it again to a beautiful spring meadow, with flowers of every different color and butterflies fluttering about.

With a long dog-like yawn, Jou stood up to leave, gathering his coat and briefcase and scratching behind his ears with one paw-like hand. Ishizu sat down at the table again and let her long black hair out of its bun, running her fingers through it as she gradually relaxed.

"Thank you for listening Jonouchi. It helps, it really does. Sometimes I don't know how we'll ever get through all this." The doctor looked at her in sympathy, and put his hand on her shoulder.

"You will. I know it. And me, I'm always around!" He gave a little barking laugh. "I can't stay away from your chow, Ishizu. The next time you feel…" Distractedly he searched for the word.

"Overwhelmed?" she offered with a small smile.

"Nya, you took the word right out of my mouth! The next time you feel… overwhelmed, come and talk to me. We're friends, and friends are always there for each other. No matter what." Ishizu looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes.

"I miss him, Jou! I miss how close we used to be. Even though I am eleven years older than him, we were always more friends than siblings." Ishizu closed her eyes and let the tears fall freely down her cheeks. "Sometimes I think he's still four years old, with that little toothy grin and silly giggle, and those bright hopeful eyes… I would give anything to have him like that again, and not this emotional wreck of a person he is today. I see it you know. When he thinks I'm not looking, I see him accusing me… These horrible injured eyes, beseeching me to say why I didn't do anything to stop it. To stop our father…" She buried her face in her hands.

"Look at me, Ishizu," Jou commanded, his voice ringing with a seriousness that Ishizu had rarely ever heard. She lifted her head slightly at this, and regarded him. "There's nothing you could have done that night. _You_ _weren't there_. Don't even begin to blame yourself for something that wasn't your fault. Someday Marik will realize it too. And 'til then…" The hybrid gave her a grin as he walked towards the door. "Keep your friends close." He opened the door and let out a startled gasp as he saw what was standing there. Outside in the pouring rain stood Marik, hunched over as he supported the wounded older man on one arm.

* * *

><p>"MARIK SEBASTIAN ISHTAR!" Ishizu shrieked. Despite the situation, Marik rolled his eyes. What the hell did she think had happened? That he had attacked the man and then brought him home to get medical attention?<p>

"Sister, please. He's hurt. His ship crashed outside." Marik said, gently lowering the man onto the floor. Pegasus shifted on the ground, and his eyes widened when he realized he wasn't holding the chest anymore.

"Ah… Marik-boy, my chest..." He gestured towards the box, which lay forgotten in the doorway. Marik gave an irritated huff as he did as the man asked, but decided not to comment on the queer nickname. Pegasus reached out and tapped a code into the side of the chest. With a click it opened, revealing almost empty contents, except a small package at the very bottom, wrapped with a piece of old cloth. Pegasus took it out and cradled it gently.

"He'll be coming Marik-boy, and he'll want _this_," the man whispered, before shoving the package into Marik's stunned hands.

"W-who'll be coming?' Marik asked, trying desperately to get a grasp on the current situation. Pegasus' eyes narrowed before he grabbed the front of Marik's purple hoodie and pulled him close to his pale, drawn face.

"_The cyborg… Beware the cyborg…_" he breathed the words in Marik's ear. Marik crouched there next to the man, shocked, trying to process the information he had just been given. With a rattling last breath, Maximillian Pegasus slowly sank backwards onto the floor.

"Oh my Ra…" Ishizu said, covering her mouth in horror as she stared at the dead man on the floor of her inn. The doctor simply stood there, rather taken aback with the whole thing. Suddenly, bright lights burst through the open windows of the inn. The trio could see a large ship passing outside, casting a searchlight over the building as it landed.

Marik broke out of his stupor. _There'll be plenty of time to think about this later._ He raced over to the front window, which was still switched the screen of the happy meadow. Using a small lever, he opened a slit in the screen so he could peer outside at the real view. Squinting hard, he tried to make something out through the driving tempest. When his eyes finally caught sight of distinct shapes, he gave an audible gasp.

Emerging from the darkness, a mixed crowd of both aliens and men came striding towards the inn. They were shrouded in the shadows of the night and the storm, but occasionally a lightning bolt flashed, illuminating parts of the company. In the front leading them all was a man, slightly limping, and wrapped in a long coat. Marik stared at him, unable to turn away although they were getting dangerously close to the inn.

The man had a large hat that hid most of his face, but Marik could make out the pale, pale tone of his skin. And- a flash of white. Hair? As if he felt Marik's gaze, the man glanced up at the window, straight at him. Marik gave a little squeak and dropped the lever.

"We need to leave. _Now_," he said, grabbing Ishizu's wrist and dragging her up the stairs just as a blast of gunfire nearly blew the door clean off its hinges. Jou let out a yip of surprise and quickly ran after them.

"Nya, I'm right behind you guys!"

* * *

><p>More gun blasts came through the door, breaking the chain of a candlelit chandelier and sending it hurtling to the floor, where it promptly started a fire which spread across the floor. The pirates charged into the inn, smashing the Ishtars' possessions and tearing the place apart. A shadow darkened the doorway, and the leader of the bloodthirsty crew stepped over the threshold of the inn.<p>

"We can't find it boss! It's not here!" one small alien piped up from where he was ripping drawers out of the kitchen counters and dumping onto the floor.

"Well then, I suggest that you _start _finding it," snarled the leader threateningly in a clipped British accent. He eyed his crew. "Keep looking, you fools! It's got to be here somewhere." Sighing in exasperation to himself, he kicked at whatever happened to be closest to him. Looking down, he smirked at what it was.

"Well old friend, it looks like I win our bet. Soon I'll have the treasure, and you… well, you'll still be dead. Have fun with that," he said, crouching down and clapping the lifeless man on the shoulder. Straightening back up, he coughed and staggered a bit. The fire was spreading too damn fast.

"Check upstairs!" he shouted, pointing at the long twisted staircase. Himself, he headed outside. No reason for him to risk his own life when he could make his crew do it for him.

* * *

><p>Marik let out a cry when he saw the pirates' shadows heading up the stairs and flickering into the hallway.<p>

"Oh _fuck_," he whispered. They needed to move faster! He pulled his sister along behind him as he ran down the hallway and rounded the corner into the room at the very end. The very _dead_ end.

"Did… did they start a fire?" Ishizu exclaimed, as smoke began to pour into the room. Marik rolled his eyes as he frantically considered their options.

"It would _appear _so, sister!"

The doctor looked at Marik, who was pacing back and forth as he thought, and then at Ishizu, who just stood in the middle of the room, hyperventilating and looking like she was about to have a panic attack. Then he looked at the window that no one had seemed to notice. And took charge for what was probably the first time in his life. Running over to the window, he threw it open and looked out. Just as he had hoped.

"Guys! Get over here!" Marik looked up from his pacing, and went quickly over to the window, pulling shell-shocked Ishizu with him.

"My carriage is right below us! If we jump just right, we can make it!" the canine said enthusiastically, tongue almost wagging out in excitement. Ishizu looked at him in utter disbelief.

"Are you kiddi-" she started, but was cut short as Marik, seeing the first pirate step into the room, pushed them both out of the window in front of him.

"Time to go!" he said, before jumping out after them. Surprisingly, they all landed uninjured in the seat of Jou's carriage. The doctor grabbed the reins and they were off, bouncing along the path, leaving The Benbow Inn behind.

Ishizu turned around in her seat to look in horror back at the inn. It was burning to the ground. Slowly, she turned back around, and began to weep quietly into her hands. Their home, their life… All gone.

Marik felt strangely numb as he sat there. He didn't feel bad about the inn. Too many bad memories there anyway… But his sister's soft sobs beside him made an unwanted twinge pull at his chest. He pushed it away tetchily. She didn't deserve his sympathy. To distract himself, he pulled out the package Pegasus had given to him. He'd forgotten he still had it. Unwrapping it carefully, he stifled a gasp. There in his lap lay a small golden ball, about the size of his palm, covered in strange designs and symbols. After a second, he shoved it back in his pocket to study later.

Sighing, he turned around to look back. Might as well get a last glimpse at the place where he had spent his childhood. And watch it turn to ashes. But what his eyes latched onto wasn't the inn.

The man he had seen before, the leader, was outside of the burning building. The flames lit up his silhouette, and he stood there watching the retreating carriage. As Marik stared at him, shocked, he saw the man slowly raise an arm and give him a mocking wave.

Marik continued to stare, frozen in place, until the carriage finally turned a corner and the inn was out of sight.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope Bakura wasn't too OOC. I feel that in future chappies, I'll have more of an opportunity to expand his character. The <em>reason <em>*clears throat*, that I didn't describe any cyborg features on Bakura (YET), is cause if I did, it would mess something up in a later part. Wait and see. But yea. He does, in fact, like to kick dead people, then randomly have a chat with them. ^^**

**I also feel like I'm reminding you guys every chance I get that Jou's like, half dog. Don't mean to shove it down your throat. Just some direct characterization, eh-heh. **

**I'm almost all done with the backround chapters! Soon they'll be setting off on their fantastical journey! HOORAY! **

**Review and Subscribe! :]**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: First chapter I wrote in ONE day, not two. Hoping it turned out all right! *crosses fingers***

**THE MAP UNLOCKS! HOLY CRAP! *dies* SO MUCH AWESOMENESS, MY BRAIN CAN'T HANDLE IT. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4 <strong>

_Later that night…_

The rain had finally ceased. The doctor had taken them all to his extensive home, seeing as Marik and Ishizu now had nowhere to stay. The house also served as his observatory, and had an enormous telescope protruding from a hole in the roof.

The three of them now sat in the living room. The silence was prickly and stress-filled, and Jou coughed uncomfortably before getting up and starting a roaring fire in the fireplace. Marik thought it seemed kind of inappropriate, seeing the situation they had just came from, but didn't comment. After several more long minutes, Jou got up again to call the law department for news. After a while he came back and stood by Ishizu hesitantly.

"Err, Ishizu? Nya, I-" he scratched his head awkwardly. "I don't wanna tell you this, but…"

"Please, just spit it out Jonouchi!" Ishizu snapped a little angrily, her head still resting in her hands.

"Well… The old Benbow burned completely to the ground. The fire department couldn't make it time. And…" he paused again. "Those damned pirates got away. There's no trace of them."

Marik exhaled deliberately, and fiddled with the chain on his hoodie. Had they really expected for the pirates to still be at the inn, sitting there and waiting patiently for the police to capture them? He snorted derisively. As if. His thoughts again drifted to the mysterious leader of the crew…

"And all this trouble over that weird little ball over there!" the blond hybrid sniffed, eying the gold sphere with suspicion. Marik walked over to where it sat, and picked it up without hesitation.

There was no reason to be wary of the strange ball, as he saw it. Actually, he imagined that he knew exactly how the inanimate object felt, seeing that at the moment it was taking all of the blame for this predicament. It was a spot that he himself was normally acquainted with, and he couldn't help but to sympathize with the sphere. _Don't worry little buddy_, he thought, _I'm sure they'll go right back to blaming me for everything after you're gone. _

Marik began to play around with the gold ball, tossing it from hand to hand and pushing on some of the symbols that were carved into it like buttons. As the doctor babbled on about something or another, Marik let out a small noise of astonishment as the ball suddenly shifted in on itself, leaving small indents on the surface, and, as Marik quickly discovered, was now able to be rotated like a kind of puzzle ball. With newfound excitement, he twisted it a few times in different ways, pressing down on some of the newly formed indents.

"Hey!" the dog-man exclaimed for some reason unbeknownst to Marik, (seeing as he had been completely ignoring him), as the gold sphere abruptly unlocked even further, letting spill out of it a mass of swirling green glowing lights and shapes, which quickly filled the room. A coordinate grid started at the ceiling and ended, rounded out at the floor. The lights all took a specific place as stars, planets, or entire constellations, and the whole system began to rotate slowly.

"It's… a map!" Jou proclaimed in awe, his deduction actually correct for once. "Hang on a sec- That's us! The planet Montressor." He poked it with one curious fingertip, and suddenly the entire 3-dimensional scheme began rushing past them, as if they were literally being transported through time and space. Ishizu, all but forgotten at this point, cried out in panic.

"W-w-what in the name of Ra is all this?" They ignored her, as both were too engrossed in this incredible occurrence. Jou gasped.

"That's the Medulanic cloud…! A-and there's the Coral Galaxy!" The doctor was becoming more and more excited with each spot he recognized. The only thing he really excelled in, astronomy, was being shown here in front of his very eyes, and not just through a telescope. It was enough to make his nose twitch frantically from the absolute delight. "That's the Signas Cross… and that's the Karrid Abyss! …Wait- what's this, what's this?" The doctor's ears went back in wonder as all the other lights disappeared save from this one planet. "Why, it's- it's…"

"_Treasure Planet_." Marik finished for him, his eyes growing larger as a flame sparked into life behind them. It was a fire that had long been extinguished by years of fear, misery, resentment, and anger, but it rekindled effortlessly upon the mere sight of this one hologram, a green sphere with two large rings revolving around it.

"No…!" Jou whispered in disbelief, still staring at it.

"That's _Treasure Planet_!" Marik repeated, a huge grin spreading across his face. It was a childhood fantasy come to life, brought back from the graveyard of his broken dreams. Memories came flooding back into his mind of their own accord.

_Seemingly endless nights, a little boy too excited with the prospect of adventure and treasure to even think about trying to sleep… _

_Reading one small holo-book every day and every night… _

_Crying unrestrainedly when the book's binding, being able to only withstand so much wear and tear, finally ripped down the middle, leaving him feeling as though he'd lost a best friend… _

_His father, laughing callously at his son's apparent misery, slapping him across the face, sneering, "Stop crying, you little bitch."… _

_Sobbing into his pillow for hours that night, his various bruises aching unbearably as he was now unable to sleep for a different reason, his arms feeling empty without the reassuring presence of the book… _

_Ishizu, coming in silently when she thought he was asleep and putting a recently taped book next to his bed, kissing his forehead… _

He was awakened out of his reverie by the doctor's exclamations.

"The Thief King's trove? The loot of a thousand worlds?" The canine's voice grew higher in pitch at every question. "Do you know what this _means_?"

"It _means_-" said Marik, tossing the map up in the air, and catching it. "-that all that treasure's just a boat ride away." If he could bring it back…

"Whoever brings it back…" murmured Jou to himself, seeming to have been thinking along the exact same lines as Marik. "… His name would go down in history! There's never been a-" But he was cut off as the lights came back on. Marik excitedly clutched Ishizu's wrist.

"Sister…" But Ishizu interrupted him.

"Don't. Don't even _think _about it!" she said warningly. But it was too late. He'd already thought about it. And there was no way he was giving this up.

"But this is our chance for a better life! Don't you want that sister?" he implored, gripping her even tighter. She tried unsuccessfully to pry his hands off.

"Of course I do! But…"

"Don't you remember, Ishizu? All those stories?" he said feverishly, his eyes glazed from the recollections.

"That's all they _were_, Marik! Stories!" she replied in exasperation. Something she said finally reached him, and he backed away from her.

"Not to me." he said slowly, looking her in the eyes.

Ishizu reluctantly looked back at him. Her heart nearly burst out of her chest. His eyes! _Ra,_ _they're… just like when he was little! The hope… his soul… Oh my little brother. _She swayed where she stood, and Jou, with a concerned expression on his face, quickly stepped over and moved her into an open chair before she collapsed.

"Marik…" She gazed at him with an unreadable expression. "You can't... go alone." Marik stared at her, not quite believing his ears. Ishizu was… agreeing? But why…? The doctor, unable to keep quiet any longer, let out a small woof of excitement. Simultaneously, they turned to look at him.

"I'm going with you!"

"Jonouchi?" Ishizu asked in shock. The dog-hybrid had a glint in his eyes that she had rarely ever seen. He began to speedily pack a suitcase he had procured out of nowhere, filling it with everything from sextants to underwear to a leash and collar, (which Marik wisely didn't remark upon). "I've been waiting for a chance like this my entire life! Finally, a chance to see the stars up close and personal! I'll use my savings to finance the expedition, lease a ship, hire a captain and a crew… which will have to be done as soon as possible…" he said, thinking out loud to himself.

Marik stood there dazed and more than a little light-headed. Was this really happening? In his head, his real sister had died a long time ago, back when he was a child. This Ishizu was different than the one he had known. They no longer hugged, or kissed, or read together, or did anything that would indicate love between siblings. She was dead to him now… ever since she had stood by and let their father take out all of his dissatisfaction and psychotic anger on him. His scars throbbed, as they always did when he thought too much about it.

And now? This Ishizu, the one who stood by, the one who just curled up and cried when their father up and left them, the one who watched weakly as he dug himself into a deeper hole with every amount of trouble he got himself in, this Ishizu was letting him embark on a dangerous adventure in the unknown without hardly a protest. And it wasn't out of resignation, he could see that. No, his sister sat without any tears in her eyes now, her back was straight, and her face was a mask that he had never seen before. She was letting him go out of her own free will.

"Ishizu… I don't…" he trailed off uncertainly, twisting one of the gold bracelets around his forearm.

"Marik." Ishizu stood up and made her way over to him. She regarded him for a minute, then took hold of his face in her hands, and turned it up to meet her eyes. "I… know you feel that I haven't been the best sister in the world. I know that you blame me for what happened to you. Don't deny it!' she warned, seeing him open his moth to automatically refute it. "But… I _am _afraid of losing you. I love you, little brother," she said, swiftly kissing him on the forehead. Marik froze, his mind involuntarily going back to that one night years ago when she had done the exact same thing.

"I-I…" he stuttered. Ishizu gave him a sad smile.

"Just- promise me you'll be safe, okay Marik?" He nodded mutely.

"Well then!" Jou exclaimed, coming up behind them and giving each of their shoulders a reassuring squeeze with one furry hand. "Soon we'll be off, Marik, you and me!" Marik grimaced inwardly a little. He'd almost forgotten he had to travel with the clueless hybrid. "Off and boarding our ship-" He paused and pointed out the window at a crescent shape high in the sky. "-at the Space Port!"

* * *

><p><strong>Eep! *peeks from behind fingers* I love that flashback scene. I feel it turned out well. ^^ I'll definitely include more in future chapters. <strong>

**Anyways, I know Bakura didn't show up. Sorry gaiz, I cut it off right before his part. Next chapter will (most likely) be some kind of mini-chapter, just one small scene that I didn't feel like including in this one, with him in it STRAIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. Promise. **

**PLEASE READ: I don't know if this is confusing or not... *FAIL* But the part with Marik saying his "real sister" had died long ago? He was just saying his sister as he knew her. How he feels that she changed... Lots of fun character development in this chapter, I know. Any questions, please post in reviews and I'll get back to you. **

**Comments? Concerns? **


	6. Chapter 5?

**A/N: So... this was _supposed_ to be a mini-chapter. A small scene I couldn't fit in the previous chapter. Then while writing it, I realized it was mostly detail, and that kind of filled it out, and it only turned out to be a little shorter than a normal chapter. Chapter 4.5 turned into just Chapter 5. (btw, this scene was NOT in the movie. I always just thought it would be interesting to see.)**

**WHAT? JOU'S THE MAIN CHARACTER? AND BAKURA MAKES A REAL APPEARANCE? XD**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, so stop asking, okay? Geez... THE NERVE OF SOME PEOPLES!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter… 5? Eh-heh…<strong>

Dr. Jonouchi Katsuya walked down the dark, narrow alleyway with confidence. He was blissfully unaware of the shoddy state of his surroundings. The overflowing bins of rubbish lining the walls, the grime and graffiti covering every square inch of stone, graphic advertisements for cheap bars and brothels every few feet… all went unnoticed by the clueless hybrid.

As he walked along, he whistled a catchy tune and put his hands in his pockets, closing his eyes, completely at ease. This of course, meant that he wasn't really paying attention to what was in front of him. That is, until he crashed into something very hard and very large. He opened his eyes and tipped his head back to see the full extent of a colossal red-colored alien, at least seven feet tall, with six muscular arms, glaring down at him. Jou cleared his throat nervously.

"Nya… are you like the security or something?" The alien didn't respond, just continued to glower, all six of the arms folded across its chest. It stood in front of the door to a shabby run-down building. THE CAPTAIN'S WING, read the sign.

"Well I… I'm here to hire a crew! … For my expedition!" The doctor attempted to muster some of his former confidence, only to discover that it had wholly abandoned him. Hiring a crew was the last thing he had to do. He had put it off, hoping that the problem would somehow resolve itself, but now it was three days before they were to cast off, and he had only found a ship, (that included both a captain and first mate he had yet to meet), without a crew.

So Jou had asked around, asked anyone and anything. Finally at the docks, a burly looking man with hair covering the entirety of his body, (Jou suspected some canine genes were in there as well), had actually approached _him_ and asked if he was looking for a crew. Something resembling suspicion had nagged at the back of his mind, but he had pushed it aside. The man gave him directions to this location, and he had set off for it straight away, simply glad that his search was ending so quickly.

"Uhh…" Jou floundered for the right words, trying not to look directly into the alien's steely gaze. "… Earl sent me?" he asked at length, praying that that had been the hairy man's name. No recognition flashed onto the giant's face, and he decided that the best thing to do now would be to leave. Running. He started to turn away inconspicuously, but as he did, a smooth white hand clamped itself down on his shoulder.

"Please, forgive my friend here. He left his manners somewhere… along with his brains," a deep, ringing voice said clearly from behind him. Jou turned around to see a man standing there, smiling at him amiably as he kept his hand firmly on the doctor's shoulder.

"Oh… well I…" The doctor stood there, bewildered. The man had pale skin, and long white hair that came well down his back. The man couldn't be more than twenty-one, however. He was dressed in common sailor's garb, tall boots and a frayed shirt and leggings. A long black mantle hung loosely on his slender form, and the hybrid noticed, also completely hid his right arm and leg from view. The man seemed to radiate a kind of authority that Jou couldn't place. One eye, the left, was an eerie dark, blood-red color, and the other, the right… was that _metal_? The bizarre metal eye whirred and clicked as it took in the sight of him, and the doctor stared, mesmerized by it.

"Ah… _Earl_ sent you?" The man gave a small chuckle. "So you're looking for a crew, yes? Well, please do come inside-" He paused expectantly for the hybrid's name. Jou shook his head, like he was trying to clear it of water.

"Jonouchi Katsuya. _Doctor _Jonouchi Katsuya."

"Well _Doctor_," the man replied, "I'm sure my comrades and I will be suitable for your expedition. Please-" Now the smile was a bit strained. "-come inside." With his hand still on Jou's shoulder, the man led him into the run-down building.

The inside was dimly-lit and hazy with cigar smoke from many a shady-looking individual, all of whom stood around drinking alcohol of some kind. Some milled around pool tables, others were speaking in hushed undertones to each other, looking over their shoulders to check that no one else was listening. All rose deliberately to their feet at the sight of the uncomfortable-looking canine, who grew jumpier with every step he took.

"Don't mind them," the whitette said casually, gesturing at the mixed crowd. As he sat the hybrid down at an empty table, he turned back to the gathering and gave them all a dark, threatening glare. As if an order had been given, they all slowly sat back down.

Jou, who had seen none of this exchange, but saw that the intimidating mob had sat back down, relaxed slightly. He turned his attention back to the strange man who now sat across the table in front of him, only to shift uncomfortably when he realized that said man was already studying him carefully, the metal eye looking him up and down. _What exactly can that eye see? _he wondered, and coughed uneasily. One white eyebrow rose mildly, and the man smirked before leaning back in his chair.

"So… as I said before… I'm looking for a crew. My expedition leaves in three days. Are you and your… companions up to the job?"

The man tapped a finger lightly against his cheek, seeming to be considering the proposition, but not taking his eyes off the doctor all the while. Jou briefly contemplated which of them he found more unnerving: the nightmarish red-colored one, or the aberrant metal one, (which may or may not have been able to see through clothing).

"We would be more than happy to take the job." Jou perked up, then disappointedly sank back as the man continued. "If… you will tell me, what is this voyage about? Is there anything we will be… searching for?" The little warning bells went off in Jou's head, but again he ignored them. There was nothing wrong with a worker wanting to know a little bit more about they'd be doing, was there?

"Well… my friend's son recently came into possession of a very curious map. We _think_…" Here the doctor leaned forward, and whispered the next words. "We _think_… it may lead to Treasure Planet itself." He tipped back into his chair, and gave a satisfied nod.

* * *

><p>He sat there in a daze. <em>Finally… <em>He had hoped that his associate at the docks had found the right person, and this… loud, rather irritating dog was indeed one of the people who held the map. _His map_. His left hand itched, and his urge to strangle something rose immensely as he thought of the boy he had seen watching him. _That little brat had the map_.

He must have been staring into space for a few minutes, because the doctor reached over with a concerned expression and tapped lightly on his arm.

"You okay there pal?" He jerked the arm away instinctively from the hybrid's touch.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," he said, trying to regain his composure. "Should we… close the deal, then?" Without thinking, he extended his right hand out for the doctor to shake. A loud gasp notified him of his fault.

"You… you… you're a…" The canine, his eyes wide with shock, couldn't choke it out. He felt a familiar hardness set back into his heart, the numbness that protected him from all the stares and the whispers.

"Yes. I am," he replied coldly. "Do we have an agreement or not, _Doctor_?" he asked, unable to keep an angry sneer out of his voice. The dog, though still stunned, nodded hesitantly. He reached out his hand, again the right one, not even bothering to hide anomaly now. The other man tentatively shook it.

He got up and turned to leave. He needed an ale. A tall one. A voice piped up again from behind him, and he paused, back still turned.

"So… what do I call you then?" He hesitated slightly before replying.

"Bakura."

* * *

><p><strong>His name wasn't Earl. <strong>

**So anyway, this last part is all in Bakura's POV. I kept using "he" because he didn't tell Jou his name 'til the very end. Bakura was trying really hard not to stab Jou through the whole thing, could you tell? He'll be free to be psychotic later on. **

**God, Jou was so unbearably stupid in this. I kept cringing while typing, shouting things at my laptop like, "Don't tell him about the map, you idiot! Do you NOT see his red eye? EVIL!" *le sigh* **

**Back to Marik next chapter. We're off to the Space Port! On an adventure... ^^**

**Comments? Questions? Concerns?**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: I curse the excessive use of _italics_ in this chapter. There's Marik thinking, then there's people making a point with their words, then there's SETO FREAKING KAIBA having every other goddamn word being used sarcastically. He's a very sarcastic person, apparently.  
><strong>

**But yea, it's Neko Neko Kaiba! *dies because he looks so smexy in my imagination* I'm serious, he's very fun to write. There is FORESHADOWED PUPPYSHIPPING, OMG GAIZ. He likes to tease Jou, then totally insult him next sentence. :P It'll get more heated, though. Promise.**

**Disclaimer (I keep forgetting these!): I own only the clothes on my back. And even those I'm working to pay off. XD**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

The Space Port wasn't a natural planet. It was manufactured by thousands of human and alien laborers' hands, and formed to look like a crescent moon in the sky. At first glance it seemed to be only one large piece, but upon closer inspection it was revealed to be made up of countless separate parts; buildings, docks, and walkways.

Marik strolled down one such walkway, smiling elatedly as he felt the wind brush through his blond hair and loose shirt. The sun was high; a few puffy clouds dotted the bright blue sky. _Perfect day for sailing_, he thought contentedly.

This was it. He was finally setting off on his adventure, the one he'd always dreamt about. He was going to get the hell off his stupid home planet, going to escape all the nightmares and memories… Marik shook himself. Enough of that.

He was going to find Treasure Planet, undergo the experience of a lifetime, and maybe even find himself along the way. People always said that being up there so close to the stars could bring about a sense of self-discovery and realization. Though he wasn't sure about all of that, Marik secretly hoped that after the journey, he might be able to let himself get close to Ishizu again. Like they used to be. He was still slightly stunned from her allowance of this trip, and her show of sisterly affection towards him the other night. _What had that _been_ about?_ he wondered. _Maybe I was wrong to… to blame her for-? Maybe… _

But his silent musings were interrupted by Dr. Katsuya's noisy entrance on the walkway behind him. Marik turned to see the canine clank determinedly up beside him. He was wearing a ridiculous metal spacesuit that engulfed his entire body, complete with huge metal boots and a glass window that came down over his face. A towering pack was loaded onto his back, and altogether, the hybrid looked as if he were about to tip over at any second. Marik actually contemplated knocking him onto his back to see if he could get himself back up again, or just roll around helplessly like some kind of huge metal beetle, but decided against it. They might miss the ship's departure.

"Well Marik, pal, looks like we'll be spending some quality time out here together! I know we've never really been close, but I'm sure-" Marik cut him off abruptly, not really having any patience for wherever the conversation was going.

"Look, let's just… find the ship. K?" Rolling his violet eyes, Marik shrugged the doctor's friendly gloved paw off his shoulder. _Dumb dog…_

* * *

><p>After getting directions from a couple of dock-workers, Marik and Jou finally came to their ship's port. Marik actually stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of it.<p>

Their ship, the RLS LEGACY, was easily the largest and most magnificent ship out of all the others there. It hovered as the crew boarded it; the sun glistened brilliantly on its cream-colored paint and white sails.

Marik climbed the boardway to the ship feeling an odd mixture of excitement and apprehension. What would casting off feel like? What would his job on the ship be? He was so preoccupied with both his thinking and gazing wide-eyed at the ship around him that he didn't watch where he was going.

"Oh, sorry!" he gasped automatically as he stepped on the squishy tail-like appendage of a milky-white alien, who looked like some kind of slug covered in strange fleshy tips all over its body. To his surprise, the alien turned round on him, and made several rude body noises, (that seemed to be its language of speaking), while giving Marik, "You wanna tussle?" gestures. Marik bristled immediately and started towards him, but Jou held him back.

"Nya, allow me, Marik." The hybrid then proceeded to communicate with the alien using a combination of tongue-blown raspberries and underarm sounds. The alien made a laughing noise at something the Jou had said, then slid away. Marik looked at the doctor with astonishment and a touch of newfound respect.

"I'm fluent in Flatula, Marik. Took two years of it in high school," the canine said proudly while strutting away.

"Flatula… You would take that class," Marik muttered under his breath, before following Jou.

"Eh, everything ship-shape, Captain?" the hybrid called at a tall man with spiky, tri-colored hair who seemed to be in charge. The man turned coolly to look at Jou with dark, burgundy eyes before responding.

"It is indeed, but I'm not the captain," he said, as if it should be obvious. "The _captain _is aloft." He pointed high up in the ship's sails. Marik and Jou stared where he had directed.

With a piercing yowl, a lithe shape bounded down from the timbers of the tall mast, flipping before landing smartly on two feet in front of them. The captain seemed to be a cross between human and a cat, the same way the doctor resembled a dog. He wore a knee-length royal-blue jacket with long coattails that fluttered behind him. His brunette hair was combed back neatly, and two pointed ears covered with brown fur rotated slightly as the hybrid marched over to his first mate.

"Mr. Yami, I have checked this miserable ship from stem to stern, and as usual…" The captain paused, as if considering how to put it best. "It's faultless. Can you get nothing wrong?" he asked, a small smile coming across his stiff features. Yami nodded to his captain, adjusting his refined scarlet jacket a touch.

"You flatter me, Captain."

The captain turned his attention to Marik and Jou, who was still wearing his metal suit, and gazing at the captain in slight awe. Marik smirked as he noticed how the hybrid's eyes traveled up and down the tom's slim frame. **(A/N: Hint hint...)**

The captain gave Marik and his small pack of essentials an approving once-over, then simpered as he took in the sight of the outlandish doctor. He strode over and his ice-blue cat eyes grew wide with unconcealed amusement.

"Ah… Doctor Katsuya, I presume?" he asked, his voice a throaty purr.

"I, uh… well, I…" the poor canine stuttered. The captain's smile grew a little broader as he saw how Jou squirmed. He knocked loudly on the other's glass face-shield.

"Hello in there! Can you hear me?" he called. Jou sputtered in indignation as he wrestled his helmet off.

"Yes I can! Stop banging, you-" he began, but the captain was ignoring his words .

"I'm Captain Seto Kaiba," the captain declared, his stance upright and proud. Jou stopped his babbling, and immediately extended his furry hand for the other to shake. Kaiba eyed it with distaste.

"I don't shake hands with mutts," he said haughtily. Jou immediately withdrew his hand and glared heatedly at the cat.

"Nya, and what's that supposed to mean?" Kaiba ignored him once more.

"You've met my first officer, Mr. Yami." Kaiba gestured to the other man, who was still standing there at attention. "He's been with me for as long as I can remember," he said, a trace of genuine warmth coming into his words. Jou snorted impatiently, and now it was Kaiba's turn to glare at him.

"Yea, this is all so touching, but let _me _introduce you to Marik Ishtar." The hybrid pushed Marik forward, who, until this moment, had all but been forgotten. "Marik," he announced brashly, "was the one who found the _treasure ma_-" He was cut off as Kaiba slapped a clawed hand over his mouth.

"_Doctor, please_," the cat hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he looked around at the non-too-friendly crew, "I'd like a word with you in my stateroom."

* * *

><p>"Now <em>Doctor<em>," Kaiba said coldly, after securely locking the door to his office and turning back to them, hands held behind his back, "If I had realized how utterly _stupid_ a dog like you could be, I would have made sure you were banned from ever climbing aboard my ship. To blather about a bloody treasure map in front of this…" He paused, and then continued. "_Particular _crew…"

Jou looked increasingly affronted.

"Let me see the map," Kaiba ordered, holding out his hand expectantly. Jou shrugged, and looked over at Marik. Marik reluctantly pulled out the shiny golden ball from the pocket of his black pants. It felt so cool and secure, so right in his hands, that he was loath to part with it. But Kaiba's scowl made him toss it over to the captain.

"Here," he said, half-hoping that the feline would drop it. No such luck. Kaiba caught the map deftly, and examined it closely. His pointed ears twitched slightly as he took in the sight of the captivating little sphere.

"Fascinating…" Marik heard him murmur softly.

When Kaiba saw them both watching him, he sneered and tossed the map in the air, catching it again. Walking over to a cabinet in the corner, he unlocked it and placed the ball in a small box within. _My map…_ Marik caught himself thinking. Still facing the cabinet, Kaiba spoke once more.

"Ishtar, in the future, you will address me as "Captain" or "Sir". Is that clear?" Marik rolled his eyes. Fuck, more authority figures to piss off.

"Ishtar!" Kaiba snapped.

"Yes… _sir_," he said, failing to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Kaiba said nothing, but locked the cabinet back up.

"This cabinet must be kept under lock and key when not in use," He turned back to them, then walked over to Jou with a scowl clear on his face. "And again Doctor, please remember- _Keep your damn mouth shut_." Jou glowered right back at him, but somehow managed to refrain from saying anything.

Sitting down at his desk and folding his gloved hands before him, Kaiba looked them over impassively.

"Let me make this as… monosyllabic as I can. I don't care for this crew that _you _hired," he said, pointing at the canine. "I don't trust them in the least, and to be honest, it lowered my opinion of you even more than when I first saw you in that ridiculous suit."

Jou, unable to bite his tongue any longer, banged his fist down on Kaiba's desk.

"Now look here-!"

Kaiba rose from his chair, and cold ice-blue eyes met warm honey-brown.

"No _you_ look, mutt. I'm Seto Kaiba, and _I'm_ the goddamn captain of this ship. Got it?" he snarled menacingly. Not waiting for the other hybrid to respond, he turned to Yami. "Mr. Yami, escort these two dweebs down to the gallery. Ishtar here will be assisting our cook."

Marik, who had been inspecting the cabinet's lock for any faults that might allow him to pick it later, looked up quickly.

"Wait, wha-? The… cook?" No. No no no no no no no. He was _not _going to spend this entire voyage- HIS voyage, as a cabin boy! No. Fucking. Way.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter: Marik officially meets Bakura. Super duper excited to write this scene, you have no idea. <strong>

**Anerways... Forgive me for the use of the word "dweebs"? *puppy-dog eyes* I just HAD to! I know it doesn't really fit into the genre, but... It's like Kaiba's signature insult! **

**Comments? Questions? Concerns? Review~! [BTW, ADAM LAMBERT IS LIKE MY GO-TO ARTIST FOR YAOI INSPIRATION. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH 3. Check out his song "Fever" if you've never heard it before. XD] Shameless plug is shameless. Lo siento.**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: I had fun. Lots of it. First parts are in Marik's POV, last one is in Bakura's. Had kind of a difficult time describing Bakura's mechanical physique, but hopefully it's clear enough. :D**

**Disclaimer- Ana: I own nothing but Katrina here...  
>Katrina: Oh you did <em>not <em>just say that.  
>Ana: Fine! I own nothing... *grumbles* <strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

"Nya… Kaiba, that bastard!"

"It's _my _map, and he's got me busting my ass for the goddamn cook?"

Both males, unanimously bitching, were cut off as a strong hand was placed forcefully on each of their shoulders from behind.

"I won't tolerate a cross word about our captain! There's no finer officer in this or any other galaxy," Yami growled loudly, his deep, booming voice echoing in the metal stairway down to the galley. Marik scowled and continued walking. He could see a dim light flickering at the bottom of the stairs. Someone was whistling, a tune that Marik knew, but the name escaped him.

"Bakura!" Yami barked out once they had reached the galley. Through the hazy smoke a slim figure appeared, his long white hair tied back loosely. Jou let out a breath of recognition. It was the man from the tavern.

Marik looked sideways at him when he heard the respiration. He supposed the canine must know this man somehow, but Marik was pretty sure he had never seen him before. The cook wore normal sailor's clothes and a long culinary apron over them.

"Mr. Yami. Bringing visitors down to meet me? How… nice," Bakura said smoothly, his British accent ringing distinctly and sounding out of place in the dirty kitchen. He stepped forward into the light, and Marik gasped audibly.

"_A cyborg_," he whispered out loud, before he could stop himself. Pegasus' last words flashed through his head unbidden.  
>[<em>"The cyborg… Beware the cyborg…"<em>]

Most of the right side of the man was completely made of machine. The top of his arm connected to the shoulder was some kind of swivel joint for easy movement, and another bendable joint was where the elbow should have been. The arm ended in five metal finger-like appendages that looked like they could alternate into other devices for different uses. His leg looked like some kind of mechanical peg leg. When he cocked his head to look inquisitively at Marik and the doctor, Marik saw a dark metallic ear on that side of his head, and… a gilded eye that whirred and clicked as it watched them, seemingly of its own accord.

"Ah, Doctor! So nice to see you again," Bakura smirked, eying the hybrid's metal suit. "_Love _the outfit." Jou uncomfortably covered his private areas with one hand, remembering his earlier suspicions about the metal eye. Hastily, he pushed Marik in front of him and backed away from the man.

"This is Marik Ishtar!"

Bakura's eyes widened as he took in the sight of Marik, then narrowed almost simultaneously. Marik stared, slightly confused. _Does he know _me_? At the inn… I thought I saw white hair. Could it be- _

"How do you do, Marik?" Bakura was holding out his mechanical hand for him to shake. Marik scowled at it, and let his suspicious gaze carry up to the man's face, hands not moving from his pockets. Jou let out an appalled "Marik!", but he ignored him.

Cyborgs were stereotypically mistrusted in most branches of society. This was generally because of the rumors that went along with them. It was said that many cyborgs were hardened criminals, and that they had replaced their limbs because they lost them in fights or in bets, or that they had traded them on the black market. Many of these rumors were probably true, but still… It was rude not to shake someone's hand, no matter who, or what, they were.

Bakura looked at Marik's rigid stance. Something crossed his face. …Anger? Hurt? But then his features relaxed, and he pulled the hand away easily.

"It's nothing, really. I know my… deviations can be rather intimidating. Little Marik here has probably never seen a real cyborg up close before, have you, boy?" He ruffled Marik's hair roughly with his normal hand. Marik stepped back away from his hand, real fury plain on his face now.

No one. No one touched him like that. Like… like a father.

Bakura looked slightly bewildered at his reaction, but shrugged. Changing the metal fingers to an assortment of knives and other kitchenware, he began to prepare some kind of dish. The others looked on in a kind of amazement as the man transformed his hand into everything needed to cook the food, including an open burner for sautéing the various ingredients.

"Still… these gears certainly have their uses, don't you think? Here, try some. It's an old family recipe…" the man said, ladling out some of the stew into two bowls and handing them to Jou and Marik. The canine's eyes lit up immediately upon the sight of food.

"… Stew! My favorite," he yapped jubilantly, forgoing the spoon offered to him, and instead using his tongue to lap up the stew. When he got to end however, he let out a loud gasp of horror. A severed finger lay there at the bottom of the bowl. Bakura sidled up to him casually, a grin on his lips.

"In fact," he said, taking the finger out of the bowl and using it to point dramatically at the poor doctor, "that was part of the old family!" He lost it then, throwing his head back and laughing uncontrolledly. **(A/N: Just picture that one infamous scene in Season 2, in the dream-realm with Marik...)** Jou looked at the finger with unconcealed disgust and waited for Bakura's fit to subside, which it did eventually.

"Oh, it's just a joke!" Bakura said, still sniggering a little. When Jou looked away, Marik saw him stick the finger into his pocket. Warily, Marik looked into his own stew. He hadn't touched it yet, and now he wasn't planning on eating _anything_ the cook prepared. Ever. Vaguely he wondered what they would do with his emaciated body once he had starved to death. Would they dump his body on some random asteroid they were passing, or just toss him over the side of the ship? Or… would they find bits of _him _in a future meal? He decided he really didn't want to know.

Just when he was about to inconspicuously set the bowl onto the counter beside him, something that looked like a giant hairball flew at him and buried its face into his stew. Marik shrieked and dropped the bowl, calling the attention of the others.

"Th-that th-_thing_ attacked me!" he stuttered, pointing at the little beast, who by this time had finished Marik's stew and had floated upwards towards the ceiling, making contented little "kuree" noises. Marik got a better look at it. It seemed to be, literally, a ball of brown fluff. Two large, soft eyes gazed placidly out of the fur, and four little claws were its feet.

"What, Kuriboh? He wouldn't hurt a thing, would you, you little hairball?" Bakura said. Kuriboh flew over to him and nuzzled itself into his white hair. Bakura looked smirking over to Marik.

"See? Harmless. You okay over there, Marik? I wager he scared you something awful," he simpered, voice mocking. Marik, now extremely embarrassed, just glared at him. "I rescued Kuriboh here on Proteus 1. Been together ever since…" He reached up and scratched the ball of fluff fondly.

Just then, a bell sounded loudly from on deck. Yami looked at Jou.

"We're about to get underway. Would you like to observe the launch, Doctor?" If he had had a tail, the hybrid would have been wagging it for he was worth.

"Would I? Would I?" Then he caught sight of Yami's exasperated face. "I'll just… follow you, then." They both turned to leave. Marik started to follow them, but Yami pushed him back.

"Mr. Ishtar will stay here, in your charge, Bakura."

Bakura, who had been tasting his stew, choked in mid-swallow. Sputtering, he beat his chest in an attempt to clear the food out of his windpipe.

"_Excuse me_?" the man asked, appalled.

"_Captain's_ orders!" Yami snarled, as if these words constituted godliness. "See to it the new cabin boy is kept busy." With that, he left.

* * *

><p>Marik and Bakura both rubbed their eyes wearily. Looking up, each saw that the other had been doing the exact same thing. Marik quickly looked away. Now that they were alone, Bakura's disposition changed. The ever-present smile he had wearing with the first mate and doctor dropped immediately. He scowled at Marik.<p>

"So… The captain stuck you with me, hm?" he asked, his deep voice ominous in the silent kitchen. Marik backed away involuntarily.

"…Whatever." _Wow. Great comeback, Marik! _Moving away to a far corner of the room, he sat down on a barrel and watched Bakura warily. Now that he wasn't distracted by the doctor's inane babbling or Yami's stony presence, he could examine the cyborg more closely.

Bakura wasn't really much older than himself, despite his odd white hair. He couldn't be older than twenty-one. While the right eye was metal, the other was an alluring, blood-red color, which pulled Marik in when he stared at it. Blushing, he suddenly realized that the other was incredibly good-looking.

Bakura hadn't seemed to notice Marik's gawking. Sneering, he turned back to the cutting board and, transforming his hand into a large knife, began to chop some vegetables sitting there, perhaps with a little more force than necessary.

"Well, who am _I_, a lowly cyborg, to question the great captain's orders?" Sarcasm could have been his second language. Marik felt a little kinship towards the other at this. After all, he had known as the Master of Sarcasm from a young age, and til now, he had never found another person who shared his affinity for it.

"Yea…" Marik muttered. Then he got an idea. Plucking a purple fruit from the barrel next to him, he rolled it around his palm. Maybe he could settle this suspicion once and for all.

"You know…" Marik said slowly, "These perps… They're kind of like the ones back home… on Montressor." He looked up quickly to catch the cyborg's reaction. "You ever been there?"

Bakura kept his back to Marik.

"Can't say I have." He didn't _sound_ like he was lying… Taking a bite of the perp, Marik continued to watch Bakura.

"You know… Just before I left, I met this old guy who was… kind of looking for a cyborg buddy of his."

"Is that so?" Bakura asked, his voice mild. He didn't turn around.

"Yea. What was his name? Oh yea. Pegasus. Maximillian Pegasus?" Again he looked at the cyborg for any hint of faltering or flinch of recognition.

"Pegasus? You mean like the horse?" Bakura finally turned to look at him, no hesitation in his words or gaze. He smiled at Marik, who felt extremely unnerved by all the bipolarity the man was displaying. "It's not ringing any bells. Must have been another cyborg. There's a whole slew of us cyborgs running around… this area, you know?" Again he grinned slyly. Marik couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

A whistle was heard from above.

"Prepare to cast off!" came Yami's rumbling bellow. Bakura gave Marik another inscrutable look.

"Why don't you go and watch the launch? Don't worry; there'll be plenty of work waiting for you afterwards."

Marik turned without another word, and stalked off up the stairs of the galley. Maybe he'd been wrong. Bakura didn't_ seem_ to know anything about that night at the inn. After all, all Marik had seen that night to make him suspicious of the man was that flash of white, which could have been anything really. And now that he thought about it, it was kind of stupid to condemn someone just on that. Bakura didn't seem like a particularly bad person… In fact, Marik kind of liked him. Still… He _had _seemed to know Marik somehow. Silently, he resolved to keep an open eye. And an open mind.

* * *

><p>Bakura watched the boy's back as he left. He had a nice walk, really. Such slim hips… He gritted his teeth. What the hell… No! No.<p>

Marik… He was definitely the boy Bakura had seen leaving the inn that night, watching him while turned around in the retreating carriage. The boy who had stolen the map. _His _bloody map.

When he had seen both him and that fool of a mutt walk into the kitchen, he had to admit he had been taken aback. Though he'd been pretty quick to mask his recognition, he knew Marik had seen something in his face.

Gods! But up close… The boy really was beautiful, no doubt about it. Had he been a piece of shiny jewelry, Bakura would have stolen it without a second thought. Bronzed skin, flaxen hair that hung so neatly around his face, and those stunning violet eyes… Bakura thought they had pierced his very soul.

He punched the wall next to him, instantly regretting it. Damn! Kuriboh floated up next to him, looking concerned.

Bakura held his face wearily in his left hand. No matter how attractive the boy was, he couldn't let himself get attached. Nothing good could come of it…

Plus the fact that Marik was already suspicious of him. He couldn't tell whether the other had also seen him at the inn, or if it was something that blasted Pegasus had told him. Either way…

"We'd best keep a close eye on this one, eh Kuriboh? We wouldn't want him straying into things he shouldn't."

* * *

><p><strong>Bakura isn't able to resist Marik's effeminate charms. He's just too damn pretty!<strong>

**Happy with this chapter. _So _happy. So happy that I wrote it in one day, which I almost never do. I was just too excited to get into the Thiefshipping. **

**Probably won't update for a while, seeing as I have yet to start on my summer work. Curse you fanfiction! You keep me from doing scholarly-type things, you bastard! One day. One day... *threatening scowl***

**Comments? Questions? Concerns? Reviews are nice. Very nice. :]**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N- Kat: Meh. It's me. Ana's... mentally scarred from writing this chapter. Weak. So I'm posting it. Hopefully she'll be back by the time we finish editing it. **

**Sooooo... In this fic, Ana has Yami Marik as "Malik". So don't get confused! "Marik" is the hikari. **

**ALSO! Yami Marik has NO RELATION WHATSOEVER to Marik in this fic. They are two separate people. **

**Disclaimer: Owns nothing.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

"We're all clear, Captain!"

Kaiba gave a satisfied little nod before turning to his first mate.

"So old friend, are we ready to raise this miserable little dinghy?" he said, giving Yami another one of his rare genuine smiles. Yami looked pleased to receive this show of compassion twice in one day.

"Ready when you are." Yami spun around to face the rest of the ship. "All hands to stations!"

The mixed crew of aliens and men hurriedly ran to their posts and began to perform their allotted tasks. It was a bee hive of activity and excitement.

As Marik climbed the last few stairs out of the galley and came out onto the deck, he was amazed at how much the ship's atmosphere had changed. When he had first climbed aboard the vessel, things had been rather calm and laid back. Now the air was feverish, and he narrowly avoided getting hit in the head by a large wooden chest that was being carried by a rough-looking sailor.

As he continued to look around at all the commotion like an eager schoolboy, he suddenly found himself floating straight upwards. The ship had finally left the dock and rose into the air, leaving the gravity of the Space Port behind.

"Engage artificial gravity!" Marik heard Kaiba shout. A strange wave passed through his body, and he dropped heavily back onto the deck. He looked to where Kaiba, Yami, and Jou were standing. The two men in charge looked unruffled by all that was taking place, but the doctor had fallen directly on his head when the gravity had been restored. Kaiba looked down at him disdainfully before shouting out the coordinates of their destination to the helmsman.

The helmsman obeyed the orders, and the ship changed directions, heading away from the Space Port and away into the great blue sky. The ship's jets were then engaged. Marik heard them warming up and vibrating under his feet.

"You may want to hold onto something, Katsuya," Kaiba said casually to Jou. The latter, still pissed, just brushed himself off, mimicking the captain's words when his back was turned. The jets, now completely charged, shot the ship forward with a bang. Kaiba remained where he stood, but Jou flew past him, crashing into the wall behind them. Kaiba smirked, his pointed ears twitching in amusement.

"Better get used to doing what I say, mutt."

Marik hung off the shrouds**(1)** on the side of the ship with one hand and one foot, letting his whole body be suspended. This. This was what he had always dreamed about. The wind on his face, the whole galaxy ahead of him, and nothing worth a damn behind him. His only link to past left was Ishizu and she… Well, she was… not here. Marik felt a huge grin slide onto his face.

"Whoa!" He let out a surprised gasp. Flying effortlessly beside the ship were dozens of huge creatures. They looked to Marik like some kind of whale… If whales could swim in outer space.

From above him, he heard Jou let out a woof of astonishment. The hybrid rushed to the side of the ship and take out a camera from somewhere in the depths of his bulky metal suit.

"Smile!" he exclaimed.

"Stupid dog!" Kaiba yelled over to him. "You're going to-" But too late. A passing whale had just blown through its blowhole, and a spout of greasy-looking slime covered the doctor head to foot.

Jou just stood there, looking rather stunned. Kaiba walked over to him, arms behind his back, looking rather smug. He leaned in to whisper in the other's ear.

"You _might _want to take a shower now, hm?"

Jou looked flushed, and ducked away from the tom. Kaiba looked slightly bewildered at the reaction his words had warranted, obviously not realizing the double meaning they had, but visibly shrugged it off. Marik stifled a snigger. They both were so naïve. Completely oblivious.

Kaiba turned away from the doctor, feeling perplexed. Why had the mutt gotten so flustered at his question? It wasn't as if he's said anything… dirty. However, he wasn't going to deny he had gotten a strange sort of pleasure from seeing the other squirm like that. Imagine what Katsuya would have done if he had leaned in a bit closer… stuck out his tongue… and licked- Wait, WHAT? Where did THAT come from? _I can't think about whatever the hell that was right now… I have a ship to run. _

Kaiba shrugged his thoughts off, and turned to survey the deck, just in time to see Bakura, the cook, step out of the darkness of the galley. The man had traded in his apron for a long black trenchcoat of sorts. It contrasted strangely with his pale skin and white hair, and made him appear as though he had just stepped out of the shadows themselves.

Kaiba watched, interested, as Bakura stood there, seemingly unaware of the captain's eyes trained upon him. The whitette didn't move an inch from where he was standing, although he was right in the middle of the deck. Kaiba noted that the other crew members simply… _moved _around him, though in fear or respect, he couldn't tell.

What on earth was the he doing? Kaiba followed his gaze, and found that Bakura was looking at, no… _staring _at that kid, Marik Ishtar. Kaiba's claws extended impulsively, and he let out a low growl. Both Bakura's eyes, blood-red and mechanical, were fixed onto the Marik's back, hungrily eyeing the boy's every movement.

Kaiba dug his claws into the railing so as to keep himself from storming over to the cyborg and scratching those gawking eyes of his right out of his head. Ishtar, though clearly very defiant and reckless, was under _his_ protection, from the moment he set a foot on this ship. And Seto Kaiba would never let some _nobody _mess with him, especially some nobody he didn't trust or particularly like.

"Bakura!" he barked out. Bakura sneered as he saw him, and walked over to where he stood.

"Why, the almighty Captain Seto Kaiba has come out onto the lower deck to mingle with his lowly crew!" He gave a mocking bow. "How considerate of you to grace us with your presence."

Kaiba scowled, baring his sharp teeth.

"Don't give me any of that crap, Bakura. Show some respect, or I'll have you thrown off my ship."

"I speak nothing but the truth, _sir_," Bakura said sarcastically. What looked like a flying brown hairball flew out from inside the depths of his long black coat and made heated little "kuree" noises at Kaiba, its big eyes crossed angrily at the feline.

"What is _that_?" Kaiba asked, making no attempt to disguise his disgust at the creature.

"It's nothing." Bakura looked peeved as he shoved the hairball back into his coat. "Was there something you needed, Kaiba?"

"_Captain_, if you don't mind. And yes, there was." Kaiba paused for a second. "Ishtar. He's your new cabin boy, isn't he?"

"Why yes, you were kind enough to burden me with that rebellious brat! I had almost forgotten to thank you for that generous act of goodwill," Bakura said, sarcasm dripping from his every word.

"You _were _my last choice for the job, believe me Bakura. Now I'm going to tell you this one time, so listen well." Bakura folded his arms as he awaited Kaiba's words. "Keep your relationship to the boy professional."

Bakura's eyes narrowed, and he glared at Kaiba.

"Are we clear?" Kaiba demanded. Bakura hesitated briefly before giving him a slow nod. "Good. And now, instead of standing around chatting with me, why don't you do something _useful_, and while you're at it, give Ishtar something to do as well. Fooling around on my ship is out of the question."

Bakura glowered at him a moment longer, and Kaiba watched warily as the cyborg's mechanical arm went through a stage of rapid transformations. It paused temporarily on a sharp foot-long knife, and Kaiba stepped back in apprehension. But then it changed back into its normal form, a metal hand. Bakura smirked at Kaiba's wide eyes before whirling his coat and storming away.

"Oy, Marik!"

Marik looked around at the sound of his name, only to narrowly avoid getting hit with a mop and bucket that had been lobbed at his head. He caught them before they fell off the side of the ship, and then turned to scowl at… Bakura. Who else.

"What the hell-" he started irritably, but Bakura cut him off.

"Save it. The captain has _requested_ that you be given something to do so you aren't simply idling about on your lazy ass this entire voyage."

"What-" Marik said suspiciously, but the whitette cut him off again.

"I hope you enjoy cooking, cleaning, and working until your fingers bleed, because that's all you'll be doing while on board this ship."

"So I'm your personal slave!"

Bakura snickered, showing Marik pointed fangs.

"Slave, servant, bitch… Whatever makes you feel better about yourself."

"That's bullshit!" Marik burst out. "You can't possibly expect me to-"

Yes. Apparently he did. Marik grimaced as an angry plunge of the mop down into the bucket left the bottom of his pants soaking wet with dirty water. Fuck.

So here he was, Marik Ishtar, on the adventure of a lifetime… mopping the deck.

"You better watch your back Bakura…" he grumbled under his breath. Not that the cyborg was anywhere nearby to hear him… After giving Marik a load of tasks to complete by the time he got back, he stalked off to Ra-knows-where.

As Marik moved along the length of the deck, he noticed some sailors lounging about nearby. They were talking to each other in hushed voices, casting shady looks behind them. Marik kept mopping, but tried to inconspicuously listen in on their conversation. One of the sailors, a lanky red-haired man with small glasses perched on the edge of his nose, caught sight of Marik.

"Ay!" he barked in a thick Australian accent. "Wha' d'ya think you're doing there, mate?"

"What? What is it, Sid?" Another man, tall and heavy-set, looked thickly at the red-haired man before also seeing Marik. "Hey Bonz, look at blondie over there!" he said to a small alien standing next to him. This alien also turned to look at him. His face looked like a living skull, and he had two tentacles for hands, and a mass of them for his feet. It was horribly disturbing.

"Well, what do we have here…" A breath ghosted over his ear. Marik gasped, and quickly spun around to face the speaker.

Whether human or alien, Marik couldn't tell. The thing that stood before him was something out of his nightmares. He had wide pupil-less eyes and dark skin. Erratic veins bulged out all over his face, and his hair stood up in a crazy mass, as though it were trying to get as far away from the creature it was attached to as possible. The man had an overall mien of a psychopath, and Marik found himself back away as fast as he could. But before he could get very far, the other grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, struggling.

"We wouldn't be trying to run now, would we?" the man purred. "It was _you_, after all, who was poking his pretty little nose where it doesn't belong. Cabin boys should learn to mind their own business," he said, bringing him even closer and sticking out an unnaturally long tongue to lick Marik's cheek slowly.

Marik, trapped, did the only thing he could think of… and spat in the lunatic's eye. The man snarled in fury, and, still keeping one hand on Marik's wrist, used his other hand to grab him around the throat. He pinned Marik up against the ship's mast, and proceeded to choke the life out of him.

Marik tried to scream, but couldn't. All he could do was make pathetic little suffocating noises as he tried to use his free hand to pry the man's fingers away from his throat. The other was exceedingly strong, however, and simply grinned at Marik's pathetic attempts to free himself.

"What's the matter? Can't breathe?" he simpered in mock concern, and began to laugh. Marik thrashed wildly, and looked around at the other sailors milling around on the deck. Wasn't anyone seeing this?

No one cared enough to help, it seemed. In fact, some of the crew looked rather excited at this show of violence, and shouted words of encouragement to the man strangling him.

"Give it to him!"

"Rip his head right off his shoulders!"

Black spots danced in front of Marik's eyes, and he closed them, knowing he was nearing the end of his rope. The last thing he was going to have seen was that awful veiny face, cackling insanely as Marik died. And then-

"Malik." The laughter stopped. The jeering of the crew too, had ceased. All was silent. Marik cautiously opened his eyes. It was Bakura. Standing there, nonchalantly munching on a purple fruit. The whitette looked casual, but there was something in his eye… something deadly.

"Bakura." The man, Malik apparently, acknowledged the cyborg, but didn't loosen his hold on Marik.

"You seem to be throttling my charge there. It would be… unfortunate if you continued to do so."

"…" Malik stared at Bakura for a moment. Something unspoken seemed to flash between them, and Malik let go of him. Marik dropped to the ground, where he lay there curled up, gasping and trying to get his breath back.

"What in the name of Ra is going on here?" Yami's deep booming voice carried down to them. Clunk. Clunk. Shiny leather boots marched over to where they were, and where a small crowd of sailors had gathered. "You know the rules! Brawling is strictly prohibited on this ship. Any further offenders will find themselves confined to the brig for the remainder of the voyage." Here he turned to face Malik, distaste written in his amethyst eyes. "Am I _clear_, Malik?"

Malik snarled, and opened his mouth to say something. Marik braced himself for another fight to break out, this one most likely bloodier than before. But then he became aware of Bakura's metal eye trained on Malik's twisted face. Malik also seemed to be aware of this gaze. He closed his mouth and gave Yami a small nod.

Yami gave a small snort of satisfaction and strode away. The rest of the crew seemed to scatter away, now that the brief bout of action was over. Malik glared at Yami's retreating back for a few moments, clenching his hands into fists. Marik saw blood dripping from the man's palms where the nails dug in.

"Well Marik? Do you have something to say to me?" Bakura asked him, a smug smile on his face, getting Marik's attention. Marik got up slowly, brushing himself off.

"No."

Bakura's smile fell from his face, to be replaced with a frown.

"No? _No_?"

"No," Marik repeated. He put a hand on his hip and looked at Bakura.

"I just saved your life, you ungrateful little prick!" Bakura growled, grabbing him by the chains of his hoodie. Marik looked down at the hand, then back at Bakura.

"I didn't need your help. I've gotten out of far worse," he said. And that was right, he had. True, he hadn't known _exactly _how to get out this particular situation…

Bakura let go of him, looking disgusted.

"Get back to work, princess," he said, shoving the mop back into Marik's hand. "And Kuriboh!" The little furball appeared out of nowhere, looking expectantly at its master. "Keep an eye on him. All we need is for him to get into more trouble…" And with that, he stormed off, an irritated expression on his face.

Marik glared after him. That arrogant bastard… That arrogant, conceited, egotistical, callous, incredibly handsome _bastard_… He ran a hand through his flaxen hair, feeling confused. So. Very. Confused.

* * *

><p><strong>Ana: I'm back... Sorry you had to deal with Katrina. ^^'<strong>

**F*CK. F*CK THIS CHAPTER TO F*CKING HELL. I had such major writing block during most of it, I have no idea if it's good or not. I think... once it gets to the Puppyshipping... it gets better. I know I really like the last part with Yami Marik. He has more parts to play, don't worry. :3**

**(1)- Shrouds: those ropey-things connecting to the mast of a ship**

**ALSO: Kaiba's concern for Marik is strictly non-romance. Since he feels Marik is under his protection as Captain... that's why he tells Bakura off. **

**Gah... I promised myself long ago I'd never put Sid, Zygor, and Bonz in any fic of mine... I failed. OTL**

**So yea... REVIEW please! Questions, Comments, Concerns? Put 'em in a review! :D**


End file.
